New Students

April 2015

Dear New Student,

We are delighted you will be joining the Swarthmore community and hope your years here are healthy ones. Our mission at Swarthmore College Student Health and Wellness Service is to provide exceptional, comprehensive healthcare to students. Many of our services are offered at no or low cost. With physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners and dieticians, we are able to provide students with many highly specialized services right here on campus.

Any registered student may use our walk-in clinic for a health evaluation by a registered nurse. Through this easy access, students are given important health information, scheduled to see a healthcare provider, or treated and released based on the level of illness or injury. When students need more urgent medical care after hours, a nurse is available for consultation 24 hours a day, seven days a week while school is in session. We also provide a travel health clinic, gynecological and other reproductive health services, college athletic trainer referral, flu and other vaccinations, and administer allergy shots. Laboratory services are provided through Quest Labs and Labcorp and billed through the student’s health insurance. Our doctors are members of the Crozer Health System, a full-service teaching hospital and trauma center just minutes away.

All incoming students are required to complete the health certificate form above. This form can also be accessed through the New Student website. The physical must be CURRENT (within the past year) and signed by a healthcare provider WHO IS NOT THE STUDENT’S PARENT.

Immunization

All immunization requirements cited on the form must be completed before coming to campus.

Varicella (Chicken Pox) requirements are strictly enforced. A student must provide either doctor documentation of date of disease, OR have TWO doses of the varicella vaccine. One dose is not sufficient for admission.

Meningococcal Vaccine in Pennsylvania, there is a mandatory vaccination requirement. If there has been more than 5 years after the first dose was given, a second dose is required. Students may sign a waiver to defer the vaccine, but we strongly urge students to protect themselves against this rare but life threatening disease.

Tuberculosis screening is required for certain students who might be high risk. Please follow all directions and requirements. (See physical form for details).

PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER READS AND COMPLETES EVERY PORTION OF THE FORM. A STUDENT WILL NOT BE ADMITTED TO HIS/HER DORM ROOM WITHOUT THE COMPLETED FORM ON FILE. The completed physical certificate is due in our office by June 30, 2015. If you are unable to complete and return the form by the required deadline due to scheduling or annual insurance reimbursement, please email health@swarthmore.edu immediately.

If you are an individual who is not vaccinated, you must fill out a vaccination Medical/Religious Waiver [PDF] form found on our website and return this waiver along with your health physical forms.

All students are required to complete the insurance enrollment information or complete the waiver [PDF] information. This information can be accessed through the NewStudent website.

Health insurance is required for all Swarthmore students. Many families assume that their private health insurance plan will adequately cover a student away from home. Services such as blood tests, MRI’s, X-rays, and care received from specialists (ie: dermatologists, ophthalmologists, surgeons, orthopedics, etc,) are often NOT covered.

Please read the student health insurance information carefully. I urge you to contact your private insurance carrier for written clarification of their reimbursement policy for emergency and non-emergency health care away from home. Many insurance policies provide inadequate access to care in the Swarthmore area. For this reason, I hope you will consider purchasing the college health insurance plan, which assures access to doctors and services in the local Crozer network.

Whether you are enrolling in the college insurance or providing proof of your own health insurance, the health insurance information is due in our office by June 15, 2015.

The full amount of the college health insurance premium will be charged to your tuition bill if your insurance information is not back to us by June 15. FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS DEADLINE WILL RESULT IN AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT INTO THE COLLEGE HEALTH PLAN. THIS FEE WILL BE ADDED TO THE FIRST TUITION BILL.

The staff is looking forward to meeting you during opening week activities. Please don’t hesitate to contact us regarding any questions you may have about this information. If you have a chronic medical condition and concerns regarding managing your condition when you are here at Swarthmore, please contact me directly.